Blog

Turmoil in Ben & Jerry’s Backyard

The following post for StopHazing was written by author and anti-hazing activist Hank Nuwer. For more information on Hank, check out his website at www.hanknuwer.com. Last Fall the corporate board of Ben & Jerry’s voted to keep the name of its flavor “Hazed and Confused,” determining that it saw no harm in celebrating an action called…  Continue reading »

The Broken Pledge, a play by Hank Nuwer

The following post for StopHazing was written by author and anti-hazing activist Hank Nuwer. For more information on Hank, check out his website at www.hanknuwer.com. Looking for an idea for Hazing Prevention week this upcoming year? Or something to use at a Greek information session? Feel free to use Hank’s play entitled “The Broken Pledge“.

Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman retires and defends a not-so “innocent” tradition many see as hazing

The following post for StopHazing was written by author and anti-hazing activist Hank Nuwer. For more information on Hank, check out his website at www.hanknuwer.com. While I wish retiring University of Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman well, and commend him for accomplishments in academics and athletics during his long tenure, I respectfully and strongly must speak out…  Continue reading »

Former MLB player Gregg Zaun claims he was violently hazed by Cal Ripken Jr

This weekend, former MLB player Gregg Zaun spoke about violent hazing that he experienced as a first-year player on the Baltimore Orioles from Cal Ripken Jr. According to Zaun, Ripken and others repeatedly physically assaulted him, wrote “rookie” on his forehead, shoved ice down his pants, and forced him to miss batting practice. Zaun reports…  Continue reading »

Major League Soccer fans speak out against hazing

Yesterday, the Vancouver Whitecaps, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team, shared three photos of first-year players Jackson Farmer and Mitch Piraux on social media. These photos depicted the 19-year old, team residency program graduates with embarrassing haircuts and featured the caption “Be glad you’re not a rookie. #rookiehaircuts #vwfc”. Major League Soccer, an organization that…  Continue reading »

Ringleader of FAMU hazing sentenced to 77 months in prison

The following entry was written by Jeri Cosgrove, University of Maine Higher Education graduate student, for StopHazing.  Robert Champion, a 26 year-old Drum Major with the Florida A&M marching band was beaten to death in a hazing ritual more than three years ago. Two weeks ago, Dante Martin, the man accused of organizing the brutal…  Continue reading »

Sayreville High School Fires Football Coach In Wake of Hazing Incidents

According to NJ.com’s Vernal Coleman, Sayreville High School has fired football coach George Najjar in the wake of the hazing and sexual assault incidents that came to light last October. According to reports, four separate hazing incidents where underclassmen were sexually assaulted occurred in a 10-day span in the team’s locker room last September. According…  Continue reading »

Vermont Lawmakers Seek To Strengthen Anti-Hazing Law

As we’ve noted previously, “not all assault is hazing, but make no mistake, assault is one of the many weapons used in the hazing arsenal.” In the wake of the Sayreville hazing incident, however, some commentators failed to see the connection, dismissing hazing as harmless pranks and antics. Therefore, we are incredibly supportive of the…  Continue reading »

Los Angeles Lakers Encourage Sexist Hazing

One of the popular media narratives surrounding the 2013 Miami Dolphins hazing scandal was that, moving forward, American professional sports teams would take notice of hazing and seek to stop it. Unfortunately, as we’ve noted before, this has not been the case. In fact, numerous NFL and MLB players have experienced hazing in the months…  Continue reading »

In Remembrance of Robert Champion

Hazing is in the spotlight like never before right now.  We receive weekly, and sometimes daily, calls from journalists seeking statements and opinions about hazing and hazing prevention relative to high profile cases in the media. And now more than ever, we’re hearing from family members of children who have been hazed. This week, on November 19th,…  Continue reading »